(Im)passive
by Lips of Frost
Summary: Tobi can't help it. He dotes on his senpai. TobiDei


They didn't know how or when the routine started. Neither ever brought it to attention, nor attempted to stop it.

Tobi dipped the brush into black polish, before carefully wiping the extra paint off at the lip of the bottle. He didn't worry to much on why he was doing this when instead, he should be focusing on the next steps of the plan. So in lieu of thinking, he let his thoughts go.

The calloused fingers that lay in the palm of his other hand were delicate, despite their nature. But he didn't need to worry about forgetting how dangerous they really were; the teeth could not get enough of the leather of his gloves, always biting into the fabric – and his skin, on occasion – with an unwavering grip.

Tobi used his thumb to spread the fingers apart, and they did, pliant and slack, reflecting the tired eye of the man they belonged to. With the smallest flick of his wrist, black coated the nail of his little finger, a single stroke all that was needed to fill it completely. He continued, moving on to the next finger, concentrating on nothing but the bristles of the brush and the sounds of their breaths.

At the tap of Tobi's hand against his palm, Deidara woke from his thoughts. He moved his head to look at his partner. A dark eye returned his gaze, the delivery steady. It was unreadable, but what was new?

Wordlessly, Deidara retracted his hand and gave him his other one. Expression as blank as the one the mask offered, he studied his partner, who was busy swirling the brush against the rim of the little glass bottle. Deidara only looked away when Tobi began painting.

There wasn't any point in questioning it. Even three months later, when Deidara was laying down on his back, arms behind his head and leg thrown over his knee, he didn't question it. He gazed up at the ceiling of their expensive hotel from the bed, debating if he was ready to take on Itachi or not.

Meanwhile, Tobi was humming to himself – a melody Deidara was certain he'd heard from somewhere else before – and ironing their cloaks. He couldn't believe he'd grown accustomed to the sight of a pink, glittering apron tied around Tobi's waist. The first time he'd set his eyes on the garment, Deidara tried to throw it out and then even burn it. Unfortunately, Tobi didn't make his life easy.

Deidara sat up slowly, polished fingers threading through his hair with the motion. Tobi pressed a button on the chunky ironer, causing steam to shoot out and curl around the black fabric. Deidara licked his lips, "What song is that?"

Tobi pressed the cloak, "I'm not sure it has a name, senpai. It's a common lullaby in the Uchiha clan."

"Oh," Deidara threw his legs over the edge of the bed, swinging them, "I've definitely heard it before, hm."

"What?!" Tobi placed down the ironer, "But it's top secret! You couldn't possibly know it. Unless... you're... an Uchiha?! Gasp. How could you? I thought we were friends. You should have told me!"

Deidara smirked, "As if. Uchiha's are lame, hm."

Tobi gripped the ironer and swung it, pointing it at Deidara and threatening, "Take that back, senpai!"

"Or what? You'll try to _burn_ an _explosive_ master?"

Tobi looked left and right, panicking, "Or I'll... uh, uh, I won't share the soba!"

Deidara followed the direction of his gaze. A pot was boiling on the stove. How long had that been there? The bubbling noise was quite loud, so he wondered why he hadn't heard it earlier. Deidara walked up to it to take a peek inside.

"I think you've overcooked it, Tobi. They're ruined, hm," he broke the news.

" _Shit_ —I mean oh no! Move, move, senpai," Tobi let go of the ironer – Deidara caught it before it could hit the ground and burn the floor – in a rush and grabbed the pot off the stove, "I'm sorry, senpai! It's all my fault. They're going to be mushy and gross now."

Deidara set the ironer aside, watching as Tobi drained the noodles and set the batch under running cold water.

"Heh," he smiled, "I was joking, hm. They're actually fine."

"You play unfair," Tobi pouted. Deidara's smile lit up the entire room, he couldn't help but think.

"I'll fry the rest of the vegetables, hm."

Tobi pulled at the edge of his apron, "Want to wear this?"

"In your dreams."

Tobi didn't reply, afraid of what he'd say. He _did_ dream about it.

He helped him chop and mince their greens, before returning to the ironer and finishing up there. Tobi unplugged it just as Deidara called out from the kitchen area.

"Food's done!"

Tobi was aware of how domestic they'd become. Wasn't it strange, given what they were capable of, the atrocities they'd committed to get where they were, their lives as nin, everything—wasn't it strange that this intimate behaviour didn't feel foreign at all? It was a natural thing, being human, and sometimes he forgot that's what he was.

And selfishly, he took pleasure in these moments.

Like later that month, as he sat down behind Deidara – who was busy fiddling with his eyepiece – Tobi meditated on thoughts of nothing. In his hand was a wooden comb, which he used to brush through Deidara's tangled hair. He had begun with the knots at the ends, and untangled them with his fingers first, so he wouldn't accidentally hurt the man as he tugged at the strands.

The movements were muscle memory: up and down, and up and down. Tobi set the comb aside once he was finished. Deidara's hair was a waterfall of gold, and let down like this, was a sight to behold. Wistful, Tobi ran his fingers through the long hair, and without control, his own hand dragged down to the small of Deidara's back. The man shivered under his touch, and it was something else entirely to feel it beneath the palm of his hand.

Tobi grabbed some of the tresses and pulled it back. He looked around, "Deidara-senpai – ."

"Here, hm," Deidara interrupted, hand lifted.

Tobi grabbed the elastic from between his fingers, saying softly, "Thank you!"

He finished up with Deidara's hair, combing through with his fingers once more. There weren't any loose strands or lumps; however, Tobi would be far from surprised to find his hard work ruined by the end of the day. They were bound to fly to their next destination, and wind had a complicated relationship with hair.

Tobi really enjoyed giving Deidara the extra attention. He knew that, logically, it wasn't productive, but it somehow felt like it was. His favourite thing to do was the quickest task, and if he had any say, did not last long enough.

A month later, he would find Deidara crawling into his futon. His hidden weapons and clay were placed within reach, but besides those nearby miscellaneous items, Deidara was dressed for comfort. Tobi was dressed similarly, having set aside his armour, cloak, gloves, and weapons, but he kept his mask on.

Before his partner lay down, Tobi muttered a soft, "Wait."

He stepped towards Deidara, who looked up as his shadow fell over him.

Tobi crawled into the futon spread next to Deidara's and uncapped the scentless balm he carried. Deidara rose a brow in question, the curve of it arching just ever-so slightly, but he didn't make a fuss when Tobi spread the salve over his lips.

Tobi's touch was gentle, and it was so contrary to the raw hostility Deidara knew he harboured, that his eyes fluttered closed without his consent. This was the only time Deidara ever felt the man's skin. When their surroundings were safe enough for them to unwind, and if Tobi was feeling generous – and if he was feeling welcoming – they would take a timid step over the boundary line of shinobi mores. But because their movements were so small, it gave the impression they were getting nowhere. They were testing the waters before diving in, his mind supplied. Deidara wondered what would happen if they reached threshold – if someone took a leap and stretched the elastic until it snapped.

Like if... if he tilted his head just a little bit forward and relaxed his lips, Tobi's finger would slip into his mouth. That's all it would take.

Deidara let out a breath of air in a rush as the hand dropped from his lips.

"Good night, senpai," Tobi said, but Deidara didn't register the words until Tobi had capped the balm and tucked himself in.

What a shame, he missed his chance. And he had been _really_ enjoying the delicate massage of Tobi's soft fingers too. But there was always next time.

And next time was a different sort of massage, the kind one normally imagined when thinking of the word. Deidara had mentioned offhandedly that his back was all knotted, and Tobi had been quick to make an offer.

Deidara had stared at him with a blank expression for a long moment, wondering what Tobi was scheming. He had learned long ago that Tobi didn't joke around, not seriously anyways.

Finally, he decided that he didn't care and unzipped his cloak.

"E-eh?! Here?!" Tobi frantically looked around, "But we're in the middle of the forest! What if we're attacked?"

Deidara was careful to choose his words, "Then take me somewhere we won't be disturbed, hm."

Tobi swallowed thickly. Hell, he never thought he'd ever think this, but he would do _anything_ to hear Deidara say that again in a different context. Unable to speak, he obeyed. Tobi gripped Deidara's shoulder and activated Kamui.

Once the world came into focus, Deidara's eyes widened at what he saw. So, this was the Uchiha's personal safe-haven.

He turned around to see Tobi removing his cloak. Deidara's toes curled at the sight.

"Here," Tobi dropped the cloak on the stone ground, "Get comfortable."

"Why do we waste money on taverns and inns when we could just sleep here?" Deidara asked, throwing his own cloak on top of Tobi's. He pulled off his shirt, suddenly very conscious of how acute the Sharingan's scrutiny really was. But it was Tobi who was behind that severe stare and knowing that had him lightheaded in an instant.

Tobi's forced his breathing to steady as he took in the sight of him. His gaze latched onto Deidara's blue, blue eye as he looked over his shoulder.

Unable to focus on anything else, Tobi stepped closer and crouched down low. He slipped off his gloves, letting them fall next to Deidara's head with a light _fwip_. Tobi wanted to feel him.

"Don't fall asleep on me," he said idly, spreading his hand along Deidara's back. It was warm. He dipped his finger into the remainder of the balm he carried around with him.

"I won't, hm."

He did.

Deidara woke up to the clap of thunder, not more than a week later.

He blinked the haze from his forgotten dream away and felt the absence of his partner. The cramped space next to him was missing an Uchiha.

"Tobi?" he said, as if speaking to the rain.

Water dripped onto the dry leaves under the cover of the makeshift shelter, and Deidara zeroed in on the collection of water hanging from the bark above. Unsure why he felt so detached from his body, he fought the odd sensations off.

Where did Tobi wander off too, in this weather?

He peeked his head out from their makeshift shelter. No sign of him. If there was any trace of Tobi's whereabouts, they'd have washed away with the storm. Maybe the man teleported too a different country and was feeling the crisp warmth of the sun, instead of this mess.

Deidara sighed, shrugging back into the foliage.

His eyelids felt heavy, and he was quick to fall back asleep.

Deidara startled awake to the brush of a hand on his shoulder.

Tobi yelped and dodged the kunai that would have lodged itself into his throat if he hadn't moved. Standing up, he held a hand to his chest, exaggerating his fright, "Senpai! It's just me! Careful!"

Deidara groaned, dropping his hand. Tobi stepped back before the weapon pierced his foot.

"Look what I got!" the Uchiha exclaimed.

He opened a blue eye to peer up at Tobi, who was upside down outside of the shelter. Deidara blinked again, then rolled over so the world straightened itself. In Tobi's hands was a dark, glass bottle. There was no label on it.

"What is that?"

Tobi moved out of the way as Deidara crawl out the shelter and brushed himself off. He replied, "It's polish!"

"We already have polish, hm," Deidara thought of the black bottle hidden in his cloak.

"Not that kind of polish," Tobi shook the bottle, "A different sort. Here, give me your ring."

Deidara, familiar with Tobi's antics, twisted the Akatsuki ring off his finger. The azure stone gleamed under sunlight – oh, Deidara thought. It had stopped raining.

Tobi accepted the ring that was dropped into his palm, having already opened the bottle cap of the polish. He poured the smallest bead of clear oil onto the ring, before handing Deidara the bottle. Tobi rambled, "It's not just to clean your ring. I know you're a practical man, Deidara-senpai. I had it custom made for your eye piece! It'll clear off any rusting and protect it from the elements. Oh, and it's non-toxic. So your eye doesn't burn out if you wear it. Do you like it?"

He used the sleeve of his cloak to rub at the ring, until the metal was glittering even under his own shadow. Deidara regarded Tobi before taking a look at the bottle in his hands.

"Yeah. Thanks, Tobi, hm," he said. The oil didn't mean much to him, but it was the thought behind it that had him smiling.

Deidara offered his hand to his partner, who slid the ring back down his finger.

The artist had the most beautiful hands, Tobi mused. The ring did little to hide the roughness of the palms and the angles of the strong fingers. Should the mouths ever disappear, Tobi was certain he could recognize Deidara's hands in a set of thousands. He'd held them so often.

He recognizes that he may be a bit fascinated by Deidara's limbs, and his hair, and his mouth, and his eyes, but he doesn't question his insanity.

Tobi falls into this routine of giving and giving. He never expected to receive any sort of attention in return – especially not in the beginning, yet Deidara did, in his own allusive way. Like a metamorphosis, they had blossomed. They had both reached a sense of self-awareness that extended beyond themselves. Even Tobi could see that Deidara had noticed their dependability on each other. How long had they ignored it for?

Tobi didn't worry over it. Instead, he picked some wildflowers from an endless field speckled with colour. Humming, he laced the stems together. A complicated array of colours filled the crown, a mixture of violets, white, yellow, pinks, and red. Satisfied with his work, he sprung up from his crouched position and sprinted back to Deidara.

"Deidara-senpai! Deidara-senpai!" he called, seeing the man in the distance. The polarity between Deidara's black cloak and the light colours of the floral fields was striking. But the rest of him, the part of him the didn't carry the weight of the Akatsuki, harmonized with the purity of the atmosphere. Deidara glowed when surrounded by life.

Tobi disregarded the sudden tightness in his chest. There was no reason to feel guilt; this world was irrelevant.

But Deidara was here, and he no longer felt like thinking, so he let his thoughts get whisked away with the breeze.

Tobi walked up to his partner, "I believe it's time for your coronation."

"My what?" Deidara looked up from his lazy posture under the cool shade of a tree. He'd been staring up at the sky before Tobi's voice had broken his thoughts.

"Your coronation. I'll be your knight. You're my future king!"

"Sure..." Deidara nodded slowly, having grown fond of Tobi's games. But then he saw what was in his hands, "Nope, hm, never-mind."

Tobi held it out, "Come on, please? I made it just for you."

Deidara side-eyed him, "Shouldn't you be calling me 'your Majesty', then?"

"Y-yes! You're right! Forgive me, your Majesty. Please, show me mercy. Please."

"Well, I plan to be a just ruler. And you did ask nicely, hm. Are you going to crown me or not?" Deidara smirked.

Tobi bowed low, then stood and carefully placed the crown on Deidara's head. He saw no reason to resist the temptation, so he combed through the golden hair and brushed it to the side. A wide blue eye met his gaze. In spite of the glaring sun and his own unbreakable walls, a chill crawled up Tobi's spine. There was no sensible way to explain or justify the intensity of their stares.

Tobi was the first one to break their heated look, bowing deeply.

He was unsure if this was part of his foolish Tobi act, or if he wanted an excuse to see Deidara with flowers in his hair. He prayed it was the former. Tobi began, "My King."

Deidara's smirk stretched into a free grin, and Tobi had the misfortune of seeing it paired with the delicate colours on his head.

Tobi closed his eyes.

If he'd known Deidara's smiling face would haunt him, he would have never glanced up to begin with. But he had, and he could see nothing else. The bright eyes and brighter grin muted out the rumbling of the earth in the distance. It made him deaf to the endless clashing of metal that rang his teeth. And as he breathed in, the smell of smoke took him far away to a very different place. They would be sitting side by side on that big bird, flying high above the devastation left by an artist's work. His heart longed to breathe again.

The Rinnegan and Sharingan revealed themselves to the world he called Hell, but Tobi's eyes did not open. The ground broke around him, cracking and rising as his chakra spilled in vengeance. The war would end, and they would meet again.

* * *

Greetings!

A different writing style, this is. A lovely chap, redskiez, provided sound advice for writing one-shots. And while this fic didn't cross off all of his checklist points, it certainly helped. Go read his TobiDei fanfics if you haven't already; they're excellent.

Truth be told, half of these scenes were originally meant to be in FotV, and the other half in We, but they just didn't fit. I'd been trying to throw them in for _ages_ , but evidently it hadn't worked. Luckily, they all fell under the same general concept. Hence this was born.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed it!


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